The Sultan and The Falcon
There was a young Sultan who was very proud of his wisdom. "Anything I do, I do after a good deal of thought," he said time and again. His courtiers, who were always eager to please him, said in a chorus, "Oh yes, Your highness, who can question your wisdom?" There was only one man who would not keep quiet. He was Sultan's old minister. When an opportunity came, he would say, "My young lord, one should not do anything in haste!" The Sultan did not understand why his minister thought it was necessary to repeat this advice to him. The Sultan had a pet falcon. It was a clever bird and most helpful to the Sultan, particularly when he went hunting. It circled above his head and gave him indications where an animal of prey was stationed. It gave different indications if any danger was nearby. The Sultan rarely parted from his pet.
One day the Sultan was in the forest with his hunting party. They chanced upon a very attractive deer. At once his followers threw a ring round the deer. "Look here! Anyone by whose side the deer escapes will die!" shouted the Sultan. That alerted every member of the party. Each one got ready to shoot his arrow at the deer if it happened to pass by him. The deer bent its forelegs and appeared to bow down. Before the Sultan had understood what it was going to do, it took a swift leap. It jumped out of the ring right over the Sultan's head! The Sultan felt extremely uncomfortable. He had threatened to kill anyone who would let the deer pass. Now the deer had escaped leaping over his own head! "I must capture or kill the deer!" he announced and galloped on his horse in the direction of the deer. The horse was no less swift than the deer. But in the forest, it was easier for a deer to move about than a horse. For two hours the king galloped non stop pursuing the deer. Needless to say, he could keep track of the deer because of his falcon. It flew exactly the way the deer went. At last, the Sultan came to the end of the forest. There the thickets were not so dense. The Sultan could now take aim at the deer. He shot an arrow. The deer fell dead. The Sultan was happy, but he was extremely tired. He sat down on a rock. Behind him was a hillock. The falcon sat down on the hillock. The Sultan was thirsty. His eyes fell on a big leaf that looked like a cup. On it had accumulated a little water, drops falling from a bush on the hillock.
He knew that the little water cannot quench his thirst, but at least he could moisten his tongue with it. He broke the leaf carefully and lifted it to his mouth. Suddenly, in a swoop, the falcon dislodged the leaf from his hands and flew away again. "Stupid bird, is this the way to quench your own thirst?" the Sultan said angrily. Water was still falling in drops. He collected a little more of it with the help of another leaf. Again the falcon made a swoop. The leaf fell off the Sultan's hand. The angry Sultan signed the bird to come near him. As soon as it came, he drew his sword and struck it with its sharp edge. The bird fell bleeding and dying. The Sultan climbed the hillock to trace the source of the water. What he saw was shocking. The water was nothing but the saliva of a huge serpent that lay atop the hillock. Had he consumed it, he would have died. That is why the faithful falcon had prevented him from licking the content of the leaf! Not far from the spot there was a spring. The Sultan could have quenched his thirst drinking from it. But he was too broken-hearted to do so. He rushed back to his falcon and swooned away, holding it on his lap. His companions found him out an hour later. They revived him. The Sultan remained sad for long. He now understood how hasty he had been in his actions. He realized why his old minister warned him again and again against thoughtless actions but the harm was already done.
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